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Who Am I? Who Are You?

Well, I DID want to introduce myself. What are the kinds of things we say when we meet people? I identify myself by name, by “what I do,” and maybe a bit about my family or where I’m from (I’m a rare breed – not from Oklahoma OR Texas).

What else do we talk about, when discussing who we ARE? We’ll often talk about our past – what we’ve done or who we were. Many people identify me as a “former Army officer,” while others may identify as ex-athletes or retired out of specific professions.

Let’s skip all that. The statement that is most true about me, but I am least likely to use when introducing myself, is that I am a child of God. It’s more true than anything I can say about myself, because God says it about me – and it doesn’t change over time – and it’s not dependent on me or my performance. 1 John 3:1 proclaims, “How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

It effects my life more fundamentally than even my name. I am loved – so I don’t have to seek out or depend on love from the world or my idols. I am provided for – so I don’t have to worry. My Father God is both good and in control. So my little job with my little title and my beautiful wife and my little college success stories just don’t matter. It’s tough to remember when I’m passed over at work, or feeling unloved, or scared about the future. I’m weak, I forget, I’m pressured to perform as husband, father, and employee, and I need reminding: I am a child of God, who loves me, because of Him.

So the next time you greet someone you haven’t met before at church, and do what I do and embarrass yourself and find out that person has been coming to City Pres for over a year…. God still loves you! Just switch which “half” of the sanctuary you sit on. Reading this whole post may not change how you introduce yourself, but maybe how you identify yourself will change your life.